How the 80/20 Principle Can Work For You

I first heard of the 80/20 Principle (also known as the Pareto Principle) in this video by MuchelleB. It seemed like such an interesting concept, and I realised that I had unknowingly applied it to my own life many times without actually knowing it!

So, the 80/20 principle basically says that 80% of the things you do or own bring you only 20% of your happiness, whereas 20% of the things you do or own bring you 80% of your happiness. How interesting is it to think about it that way? So according to this rule, by removing the 80% that only gives you 20% of your happiness you're left with the 20% that gives you 80% of your happiness. It doesn't have to be specifically an 80/20 split. It can be 70/30 or even 99/1, but the general rule is that having or doing less can actually help you bring in more happiness and success.

An example is back in sixth form. I realised that only a few of my friends were bringing me the most joy and happiness; only 20% of them gave me 80% of my happiness, whereas the other 80% gave me 20%. With this realisation, I removed the 80% and remained with the 20%, which I still think is the best decision I made.

It doesn't just have to be friends or the people in your life. The 80/20 Principle applies to everything. I recently used this on my wardrobe and all of the clothes I own. I took everything out and laid it all on my bed and decided to donate the 80% of clothes I have that only give me 20% of joy and I kept the remaining 20%. It's cleared up so much space in my wardrobe and made me realise that I don't need a lot of stuff to make me happy!

Another way to apply this rule is to look at your diet. If you find that only 20% is bringing you the best results, then begin to do more of that. For example, if only eating healthy makes up 20% of your diet plan and it seems to be giving the most results, then doing more of this will see you improve with your diet and you'll be more likely to stick to it. If doing things like jogging, lifting weights, and taking supplements collectively give you only 20% of your results, then it's time to do less of it and focus on what is really making a difference.

Even with studying, the 80/20 Principle can make a serious difference. Prioritise the 20% that's gonna give you 80% of your results, and not the 80% that will give you fewer results. If your to-do list has 10 things, then tackling the 2 most important will have already given you 80% of the results.

Take a look at your life and see where you can apply the 80/20 Principle and you could be surprised by what you find. Maybe there's even a way it can apply to the holiday season! Do more of the 20% that makes you happiest 80% of the time, and reduce or eliminate the 80% that only gives you 20% of your happiness and see how it changes your life!